Did you hear this? About the London Marathon runner, and the imposter who nicked his place? Twas in all the papers. This runner got through 24 miles. He’d pounded the streets…pushed through “The Wall”…and he could almost sniff the finishing tape… But then, disaster – his label blew away. You know that label they all wear? [...]
“This parrot is no more!”…“It has ceased to be”…“Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn’t nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies!” I promise, I’m not a Python Nerd. I’m not one to spout “What have the Romans done for us?”… “No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition”…and “We [...]
It’s Q&A Tuesday again – and here’s a question from Darren: “James, I run a collections agency – we help our clients to get paid. I want to send regular emails, but in my industry there’s not much to talk about. Any advice?” This is a common mistake: thinking you’ve got a small set [...]
Every spiv in every British wartime movie says it. As a young gal passes by, he whispers out: “Psst! Nylons…?” Then opens up his coat, to show off his wares. Stockings, bananas, and all that other stuff they couldn’t get in the shops. So what? Well, he’d get his customer’s attention with a single word [...]
My Sat-Nav has been hacked. I’m not saying it’s the Russians. But someone…I don’t know who…has got inside it. Taken control. And they’re sending me on an epic tour of all the wrong places. Down cul-de-sacs. Round ring roads. Forever doubling back. And never letting me find the way home. It. Is. Driving. Me. Nuts! [...]
Happy Q&A Tuesday – Jo’s got a question today: “Hi James – can a big, bold offer hurt your business in the long run, for the sake of getting a quick sale today?” Hell, yeah. We’ve all seen it happen. The trick is, you’ve got to “attack and defend” all at once. And this quickie [...]
When I say GOAT, I don’t mean a “goat”. I mean Roger Federer! Hailed by (most of) the tennis world as Greatest Of All Time. (The GOAT!) He’s won 97 trophies, including 20 Grand Slams (20!)…and till this week, he was still world number #1. At 36! Even a Murray fan like me has to [...]
It’s Q&A Tuesday, so here’s a hot ‘n’ frothy question from Deborah: “Hi James – now and then, I have days when I can’t get my brain into gear. Any advice?” Yup. We all get days like this. I call them Blancmange Days, because… Well, watch the video and you’ll see. In 5 minutes, [...]
You know what? I can’t fold shirts. I mean, God knows I’ve tried. But somewhere between the top button and crossing over the sleeves, it all gets mangled. So in seconds, it goes from crisp and ironed to a tatty screwed-up ball. Back to the iron. Start over…and repeat the whole charade on a loop. [...]
Happy Q&A Tuesday! Here’s a neat little question from Mike: “Hi James, are there ways of re-engaging with lapsed clients?” Hmm. This is fodder for a book or conference, not a digital quickie. But still – Put up with my voice for 7’37” and I’ll give you a bag of ideas. It’s not the full [...]